2 Colima Shell Purging Stick Pendants

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A pair of zoomorphic pendants, hand-carved from creamy white shells, both suggesting reptilian creatures, such as caiman or lizards. The larger pendant features a pointed snout, shallow indentations to indicate eyes, and four small protrusions for limbs. The sides below the upper legs are pierced for suspension. The other pendant is a bit more weathered and abstract, with a curved profile and rounded edges. The sides are also pierced in several areas for suspension. Given the shape, the larger may have been used by shamans as a purging stick, prompting a literal physical purging as well as a symbolic spiritual purging during certain ceremonies. Size of larger pendant: 6.5" L x 1.5" W (16.5 cm x 3.8 cm); smaller: 3.3" L x 1" W (8.4 cm x 2.5 cm)

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s

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#165660
Condition Report: Natural pitting, cavities, and ossification of smaller pendant. The larger pendant has chipping and losses to peripheries and layers. Larger pendant is not recommended for wearing due to chipping and weakening around the piercings. Smaller pendant could be strung and worn. Scattered mineral deposits on both.